


Waterfronts

by OurDeal



Series: City Limits [5]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Non Graphic Birth, OOC, Occult Magic, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, slight gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-13 00:27:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17477837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurDeal/pseuds/OurDeal
Summary: Set five years after the ending of ‘Skylines’. Seth and Finn are adding to their family by one.*Total work of fiction





	1. As You're Diving Down For Me (Flashback Pt. 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title comes from 'Her Kiss' by In This Moment.

            “Aoife, sweetie, please be careful with papa. He’s not feeling too well right now. Your little brother is a little more tired than usual, so papa’s gotta sleep a little more.” Finn’s following the little footsteps of his daughter up the stairs towards his and Seth’s room. A couple of years ago, around the time that Aoife was two, a hurricane came and pretty much wrecked the home that Finn and Seth shared. Everything was either completely demolished or in a state of total disrepair. Starting over for them was hard, especially with a toddler who liked to get into everything. They were especially devastated when they had to leave their beloved willow tree and rose bushes behind. So many afternoons were spent there with Aoife in either Seth or Finn’s arms. They knew that the land on which their old house stood on was going to be an open area after their house would get knocked down. They had discussed uprooting both the tree and the roses but hadn’t thought it would have been a possibility until they met with the landscaper for the new house that they had just bought at the time. Finn had the roses and the tree replanted into the backyard of their new house and used it as a surprise gift for Seth. Upon seeing the newly redecorated yard, Seth cried, knowing that he could have new memories under the same tree with the same roses that he had when Aoife was a newborn. Finn’s always happy to look out the kitchen window and see Seth and Aoife sit under that tree, watching the sunset. A creak of a door opening draws Finn back to his reality and it’s too late to stop Aoife from entering his shared room.

            “Papa, c’mon wake up. I want to play.” Aoife is trying to make her way up onto the bed, but because she is still too short to reach, she can’t get to a sleeping Seth. This time around, the pregnancy has sucked so much energy out of Seth. Yesterday was their twenty-week appointment, in which they found out they were having a boy. They were excited until Dr. Crowne did some blood pressure testing and found out that Seth’s blood pressure was higher than normal. The doctor asked that Seth stop on his _CrossFit_ regimen and start bed rest, suspecting that she might know exactly what is going on. It doesn’t help either that Seth has been feeling more tired than usual, and doesn’t really spend that much time awake. Finn knows that every time Seth wakes up, he feels horrible about leaving Finn alone with Aoife all day. Finn is lucky in the fact that his bosses understand what is going on and are letting him stay home with Seth until further notice. He’s sad that the only reason he’s staying home is that Seth is starting to have complications. It sucks that Seth can’t really interact with him either. Either he’s too tired to move or he’s sleeping. Just then he sees his little girl successfully make it to the top of the bed. She stands on the mattress triumphantly before getting down on her knees and crawling over to Seth’s sleeping form. Before he can stop her, Seth is waking up slowly, his eyes blinking back the sleepiness in them.

            “Hi baby, how was school today?” Seth reaches up to wrap Aoife in his arms, who is more than excited to just hug her papa. Finn smiles to himself before joining the other two on the bed. Aoife ends up in the middle of her parents, who still look at her in wonder. Even if it’s been five years, Seth can still feel a dull ache in some of his bones. He’s nervous about this pregnancy to go as well as Aoife’s was before she was born. Seth and Finn had agreed after Aoife was born that the second child they have would be the last one. He’s not happy about having to go through another ritual, but he’ll do it if it means that Finn and he would be able to enjoy each other without the worries of conceiving. His arm reaches over to caress Finn’s face, feeling the softness of the close-shaved beard. He will always be in disbelief at the fact that Finn chose him to spend the rest of his life with. Finn’s hand wraps around Seth’s wrist, pulling it off his face before bringing each knuckle closer to his lips. Placing a feather-light touch of lips on each knuckle of Seth’s hand, Seth is blushing furiously at the intimate affection.

            “What are you thinking about, Seth?” Finn’s curious about what his husband is up to when he’s with Aoife. A lot of the time he could either find Seth sleeping or searching for something either on his phone or on his computer. Seth, on the other hand, is always thinking about what he wants to do after their second baby is born. He can’t wait to hold him in his arms but hopes that he gets a longer stay than Aoife did. Smiling at Finn, Seth’s hand lies flat against his stomach. At this point, no one can tell that he’s having another baby, for his stomach is still relatively flat. According to Dr. Crowne, their son is measuring a little over the average, so he doesn’t expect his stomach to stay flat for too long.

            “About how I’m hoping that I get to keep this one a little longer than Aoife. I know that what happened wasn’t my fault, but I still worry, and now I am scared because of what happened yesterday. I am just happy that he’s healthy, and that Aoife didn’t’ suffer any long-term effects on her health from what happened five years ago. I worry about her though, because she really doesn’t hear us very well, so I’m thinking that she might have some minor hearing loss, but it’s nothing that we can’t handle. Besides, I’m lucky that I have the most patient man in the world to figure this stuff out with me.” Seth smiles at Finn again, and Finn leans over their sleeping daughter to kiss Seth. It always feels like the first time for them, no matter what type of kiss. For them, their love has become something more than just them—it’s become part of their daily function. Without each other, they wouldn’t be able to go on—and Seth can’t help but let his mind wander back to the night that their son came into existence. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“Babe, I think I’m ready to start trying for baby number two.” Finn’s head turns so fast that he gets dizzy. Letting his head come back, Finn’s jaw drops because he’s been waiting to talk to Seth about it. He knows that they both have wanted to add to their family but didn’t know when the right time to discuss it would be. It’s a secret dream of both to create new memories under the willow tree. To just sit on the bench under the tree and watch the sun go down. He smiles and it’s like his heart is beating twice as fast. He knows that Seth has worked so hard to get his body to bounce back, and he’s shocked that Seth wants to put that work on hold to have another baby. He still is in awe of Seth, who will so selflessly give up his body for someone else._

_“Seriously? You want to try for another one?” Finn can barely contain his excitement, knowing that Seth loves him so much that he’s willing to go through the pain again to have another baby. He ends up throwing his arms around Seth’s shoulders before pulling him in for a hug. Finn can’t help but kiss Seth, trying to convey his adoration of the man through it. Finn knew that Seth’s last pregnancy was rough towards the end, and the scars from it used to haunt Seth once upon a time. With time and love, Finn was able to break through that wall and made Seth believe in himself again. Finn can feel fresh tears damp the shoulder part of his shirt, and he knows it’s because Seth feels immense relief at the decision._

_“I’ve wanted to start trying for the second baby since Aoife was two but I was too scared to ask. I was nervous, thinking that my body will fail me again and that this time it would end in tragedy. Of course, I don’t believe that now, but I am wanting to try if you’re willing to.” Seth has happy tears running down his face while Finn can only nod in confirmation. They begin to plan on when they would try from that day. In between their schedules and raising Aoife, they had to try to find time to try. Then, there was also the question of the demon king himself. They knew that they both had to have a conversation with him again, but they didn’t know how to go about it._

_The night that the conversation between Seth, Finn and the demon happened, the air in their living room became heavy. Seth knew that Finn would be gone once the demon king came through, and having to keep his heart calm, he felt as he was choking on his own sadness. Finn’s body went stiff before transforming into the demon king. Trying to be intimidated, Seth looked at the demon king right in the eyes._

_“Hello, Balor…I believe it’s time that we had a talk.” Seth’s determination to get what he wants out of the demon, and if that means standing up to him and not taking no for an answer, then so be it. The demon king just smirks at him, and Seth is holding back from punching him—it’s partly one of the many reasons he rarely ever deals with the demon king in the first place. He just hopes that this will be the absolute last time he would have to call the demon out._


	2. The Strong Will Fight And The Weak Will Run (Flashback Pt.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from 'Gunshow' by In This Moment

           _“Seth Rollins-Balor, to what do I owe the favor.” The demon is smirking at him, and Seth wants to just throw a punch in his face. It’s not fair that he uses Finn’s body as the means of communication. He hates it with every fiber of his being—having to watch the man that he loves so much not be there, even though his body is. He hates seeing how tired Finn is after the demon leaves, and there’s some sort of emptiness in Finn’s eyes. The demon takes so much from Finn—his soul, his thoughts, and his body. Calming himself long enough, Seth ends up getting ahold of his thoughts, knowing that if he messes up, what he wants won’t happen._

_“Listen, demon king, Finn and I are wanting to try for another child. This will be our last child, and I know that getting rid of whatever magic smoke you put in my body five years ago doesn’t disappear that easily. Once our second child is born, I want whatever you put in my body out—for good.” The demon king smirks again before sighing, knowing that it’s going to be twice as hard for that to happen._

_“Seth, do you understand what that means? I will have to take some of your organs out of your body to even reach the energy in the first place. Then I would have to make sure that there’s nothing left in your body—including your blood. That means that I’ll be having to move your blood within your body, filtering it until there’s nothing left. Then after that’s all said and done, your body will feel like you were hit by a train. You will be in immense pain—worse than when I put that energy in you. If you’re ready to go through with it, I will grant you that desire once your second child is born.” The demon king is leaning back against the couch cushions, a smirk of satisfaction gracing his face. He feels as if he’s gotten the upper hand on Seth, but he’s wrong. Seth isn’t as stupid as the demon king thinks he is._

_“Well demon king, you must not know me that well. I already know what it means, and yes, I am prepared to take every single inch of pain that you’re going to give me. It’s worth it to me. I want to be able to be with Finn and not worry about any more children, and we’ve already agreed that more children would be harder to keep up with—especially with how our schedules are. Finn and I are ready to try again. Finn will see that you keep your word, demon.” As soon as the last words fall from Seth’s mouth, the demon king is being pulled back from the surface. Seth had made the phrase ‘Finn will see that you keep your word, demon’ the trigger for Finn to pull back the demon. As the air, around him begins to lighten up, Seth can’t help but smile a little, knowing that he has his husband back. Finn slumps against the back cushions of the couch he is sitting on, while Seth leans forward to hold his hand. There’s concern in the brown eyes, and Finn just smiles, knowing that this particular time took a lot out of him._

_“C’mon babe, I think it’s time we went to bed.” Seth stands up before helping Finn off the couch. Letting Finn use him as a support, Seth slowly walks with him back to their shared room. On nights like this, Seth tends to be the one who is taking care of Finn. He makes sure that his husband is in his pajamas, before letting him lie down on their bed. Seth knows that because of the energy that was sucked out of him by the demon, Finn will have a hard time sleeping. He chooses to let Finn be the little spoon, knowing that Finn could fall asleep and wake up from a night terror or not fall asleep at all. Seth’s lips end up on Finn’s as Finn is looking at him up close. Seth can hear his heart beat faster, seeing the renewed fire in Finn’s eyes. It usually takes Finn a couple of weeks to at least be able to build up that fire. Seth is more than ready for what the night brings, knowing that Finn looks at him with all of the love in his body._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

            Lips are pressing against the side of his face and fingers are idly braiding his hair. Blinking back confusion, Seth looks up, seeing Finn looking down at him with a smile on his face. He realizes that his head is on Finn’s thighs and that their daughter is no longer in the bed with them. He’s more confused—he doesn’t remember closing his eyes and he doesn’t remember his daughter leaving. Finn can sense all of the confusion while stopping his humming.

            “You spaced out for a while there, Seth. Aoife woke up ten minutes ago and decided that she wanted to go play in her room. You were also talking again, and I know you went back to the last time you talked to the demon king. Trust me, I still remember that whole conversation. I’ve been idly talking to our son for a bit, waiting for you to come back. I know that everything’s different with him. With Aoife, it was the constant worry about her being a little bit small, and then the whole accident thing. With this one, he’s a little above average and your blood pressure is pretty high. Still, you amaze me every day, and I don’t think you could ever stop.” Smiling down at him again, Finn’s lips land on Seth’s. Trying the best that he can to sit up, Finn pulls him up so that his back is resting on some of the pillows. He’s been able to feel this baby move around, but he’s been so tired as of late that all he can do is sleep. He hasn’t been able to enjoy this pregnancy, either always being tired or in pain. Seth smiles at Finn, who leans over to kiss him again. He’s upset that he spaced out again and can’t remember what happened. It bothers him that he sometimes goes through life completely not being there to pay attention. It’s made it difficult for Seth to deal with day to day activities.

            “Finn, babe, I can’t take this. I hate what’s happening this time around. I’m constantly tired, and I can’t remember much of anything. It’s frustrating that I am missing so much out of Aoife’s life. I can barely remember the last time I was outside in the backyard with her. I barely have time with you because I’m always sleeping. I am so sorry that I’ve basically made you a single parent. We haven’t even had time to think about names for this one. I love him so much, but this pregnancy is causing me so much strife.” Seth is annoyed at the fact that he keeps missing things. The world keeps going but he’s stuck in bed. He can’t really hold much of a conversation because he finds himself nodding off in the middle of his conversation. He so badly wants to be normal, but if this is what it takes for his son to be okay, then so be it.

            “I know, babe. It’s okay, I understand why. Our son needs a lot of energy from you and you’re willing to give it so freely to him, but it’s costing you a lot. I’ve seen how you’ve felt about everything that’s going on with you. I know that this is hard for you, and I’m worried about you. I will do whatever it takes so that you will be okay once this baby comes. Now, as for names, I will be more than happy to talk to you about names.” Finn smiles at Seth before picking up Seth’s hand and squeezing it in reassurance. Finn leans over to Seth, his hand entangling into Seth’s hair. Seth sighs, his body tired and his bones hurting, but he truly understands why Finn is the way he is. Seth feels lucky that he was able to meet Finn and marry him, and then be a parent with Finn. All he’s ever wanted since he left the authority was for someone to take the time to love and understand him. Finn was that person to do that. Seth is so grateful for Finn’s patience, knowing that if it were someone else, this would have been impossible. He would have had probably left if he were in Finn’s shoes, yet Finn has stayed through the hardest parts of their relationship. Through illness and self-hatred, and through doubt and insecurities. Through losing their house to a storm to having to buy a new one, while having a small child. Trying to salvage anything and everything from the aftermath that was their destroyed house. Then having to deal with a demon who likes to manipulate people into their worst selves. Having to learn to stand up for himself, Seth has at least gained some sort of self-resolve in that part. He no longer is afraid of the demon who uses Finn as the vessel to create chaos. Kissing Finn on the lips, Seth smiles at Finn. His thoughts are racing, stuck in between positive and negative. Finn pulls Seth close, sensing the uneasiness in his husband’s mind. Finn’s hand ends up flat against Seth’s chest, right over his heart. Taking a deep breath, Finn’s hand begins to pull the oppressive energy out of Seth’s body. He can feel how deep the heaviness is, reminding him of when Seth had just first come home from having Aoife.

            “Wow, that is a heaviness that I haven’t felt since the first weeks you were home after Aoife was born.” Seth can feel his body getting lighter, almost as if whatever energy was holding him down was finally lifting. He can see that Finn’s veins are darker than normal, and he knows that he must be very sick for this to happen to him. He’s worried now—he and his baby could be in danger and there might be nothing he can do.        


	3. My Roots Run Deep Into The Hollow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from 'Roots' by In This Moment.

            “Okay, Seth, Finn. How have you guys been? I’m guessing the princess herself is off at school? How is she doing? I know you guys mentioned something about possible hearing loss, so I would like to see her soon. I know, I am also a licensed pediatrician…you know, living a lot of lives gets boring after a while, so I learned some things in the earlier part of my youth. Anyway, have you both decided on a name? I know that this was around the time that you told me what you were naming Aoife.” Seth can tell that Dr. Crowne has some news for him but is holding back, not wanting to damper the mood of the appointment. She knows that he’s having a hard time with this baby, and knowing what she knows, the news that she has to tell him will shatter their illusion of what they wanted for this baby. It’s not that she wants to stress him out, but it’s because the information that she holds will change how Seth lives his everyday life.

            “Yeah, she’s doing very well right now in kindergarten. Finn and I noticed that when we call for her, she acts like she can’t hear us. At first, we thought it was just her being defiant, but then when it kept happening more often, we realized that she might not be hearing us. I’ve also noticed that when she plays music on her little mp3 player that we gave her, you can hear the music that she’s listening to through her earphones. We ended up having to put a volume control lock on it, and yet, when she used it after we locked the volume on it, she freaked out. She started crying, thinking that her earphones broke. I checked her earphones and I could hear the music just fine, and that’s when we realized that this might be an after effect of her birth. We really never considered it until she started showing symptoms of it. I can even remember when Aoife was two, and I had her backstage with me during one of the live shows, and something fell accidentally backstage. I think it was like some leftover pipes from when they were promoting one of the PPV’s. Well, it fell right next to her and she didn’t react at all. She kept watching Finn who was on the monitor, and she didn’t notice that something had even fallen right next to her. So that’s why we think there’s something really wrong with her hearing. As for this one, we decided on Lir Owen. He really loves it when either Finn or I say his name.” Seth feels a little more exhausted than usual after explaining everything to Dr. Crowne. Finn squeezes his hand, a sign of support for the anxious man. Finn knows that if he’s feeling nervous, then Seth must be really good at composure. He would have such a hard time trying to hold on to his own feelings if he had half the symptoms that Seth is suffering through. On top of having to worry about their baby, Seth also has to worry about Aoife, and having her go through all these different types of hearing tests.

            “Looking at the measurements for this week, he’s of course still measuring a little above average. Again, your muscle definition is going to be a huge factor in how far your stomach will stretch out this round. You’ll probably feel some ligament pain this time around though, only because baby Lir is a little above average. With Aoife, you didn’t get that because she was the exact opposite. I also know that you’ve talked to the demon king about what’s going to happen after Lir is born, and trust me, you will be sleeping through all of that. I’ll be in the room when the demon makes an appearance, to make sure that everything goes according to plan. As for the testing goes, I don’t know how to put this, but the blood pressure test tells me everything I need to know. It looks like you have hypertension, and so now I am going to be monitoring you a little more closely. I want to make sure that it’s not going to develop into anything further. I am going to advise you to stop your workout regime entirely if you haven’t already. I am guessing that you’re sleeping a lot more, and that is understandable. It’s partly because of the high blood pressure, and partly because he’s going to be a little bigger than average. You also still have after-effects from five years ago that is making it hard with this pregnancy, so that is probably also factoring into the whole fatigue thing. Like I said, from here on out, I expect you in my office every two weeks for close monitoring. Finn, please make sure that he’s not doing anything too harsh or strenuous. I also want him to be off his feet at least fifty percent of the time. Other than that, you both are good to go. Please notify the nurse at the desk that I want to see you at your twenty-sixth-week mark.” She smiles at them as she makes her exit, and for a moment, a pin could drop and it would reverberate throughout the whole room. Finn ends up standing right in his line of vision, with both hands gently cradling Seth’s face.  Finn can sense an emotional onslaught coming, but he knows that he needs to keep Seth as calm as possible. Pressing his forehead to the man in front of him, blue eyes staring deeply into brown. There’s a storm in those brown eyes—one created out of fear and anguish. One that he knows will probably damage Seth, and Finn, although a patient man, can only take so much self-hate from the man he loves.

            “Alright, babe, c’mon. Let’s go schedule that appointment for two weeks from now and then we’ll go home and we’ll cuddle until it’s time to go and pick up Aoife from the bus stop. She’ll be excited to see you, and then we can both help her with homework if you want. After that, we’ll eat dinner together and then she’ll be ready for her shower and bedtime story.” Finn’s lips place feather light kisses on Seth’s face, if Seth dives too deep into his own thoughts, it’s hard to pull him out. Seth can only nod before being helped off the exam bed. Walking out of the exam room and down to the check-out desk, a young nurse looks up from her work. She gives both of them a warm smile before she looks at her notes on the screen of her computer.

            “Okay, so it looks like Dr. Crowne wants you back in about two weeks. Would same day and same time work for you guys?’ Finn can only nod while Seth leans into him for support. Finn knows that each day that passes by takes a toll on Seth. For Seth, sleeping most of the day confuses him once he is up. He wants to interact with both his daughter and his baby, but he also misses just talking to his husband about silly things—like what Aoife learned that day in school, or what new things did their baby start doing. The only thing that brings him comfort through all of this, other than Finn and Aoife, is hearing Finn speak to their baby while he’s in between sleep cycles. Being broken from his daydream, Finn is leading Seth out of the doctor’s office and back to their car. Once Finn helps Seth into the passenger’s seat, he makes sure that he is buckled in before leaving the parking lot. Not even the radio can drown out the all-encompassing silence that encases them both on their way home. There is so much that needs to be said, but neither is willing to face up to it. Once they both know that they are safely home and through their front door, Seth can finally crumble in Finn’s arms.

            “Finn, I’m so sorry. I hate this! My body is making me sick because of the baby and I hate it for that. I want this baby so badly, and I love him already, and I don’t care that my body is betraying me, but why does it have to betray him too? I’m supposed to make sure that he’s growing alright and that he’s comfortable in there, but my body doesn’t like it one bit. I just want to have the happy family I’ve always dreamed of. Our poor baby girl might have lost part of her hearing because of my body. Lir…he sleeps all the time because I sleep all the time. It’s not fair to him, nor to you or Aoife. I want to spend time with you both, but I can’t because my body is in a constant state of tired.” Seth’s body just leans further into Finn’s, knowing that it is taking all of his strength to hold himself up in the first place. He hates that he is basically bedridden for the rest of this, and miss a lot of life because of it. He feels Finn lift him up like a bride after taking her vows and walks up the stairs to their shared room. Being able to close the door behind them both with his foot, Finn lays Seth ever so gently on top of the mattress of their bed. Seth turns to his side, finding it to be most comfortable as Finn lies on his side so that he can face Seth. Silent tears mar Seth’s face, and Finn can only wipe away some the tears before leaning in and pulling him close. Finn’s lips are on his again, and Seth knows that he is trying to tell him about how much he loves him through it.

            “Please Seth, don’t be sorry. You can’t control how your body is going to react, okay? Your body is not betraying Lir, and in fact, you are the first place he finds comfort in. Aoife found comfort in you, so why should it be any different now? Of course, he’s going to need a little more energy than Aoife did—I can tell that he might be a little big. Our perfect princess, despite possibly having some hearing loss, is amazing all on her own. Do you know why she has so much courage? It’s because of you, Seth. You gave her that courage from the moment she was in your arms. You loved her from the moment you found out about her, and I love you that much more for it. Aoife and I understand why you can’t spend so much time with us. Seriously, Aoife is okay with it. She knows that the baby is more fragile and small than she is now, so he needs a lot of rest. I, of course, know why, and I am still in awe of you. Even after having Aoife, you still wanted to have another one. There is no way that I could ever thank you.” Finn’s lips are pressed against his, and Seth for a moment, goes back to when Aoife was about 4 weeks old, and he was sitting under the willow tree in his old back yard, with Finn looking at him from the laundry room door. Seth knows that the love he felt for him then is the same love he has for him now. He is so lucky that Finn still looks at him like it’s the first time he ever saw him. Seth doesn’t know it, but he does the same to Finn. In some way, they are what they both longed for, and what they wanted.

            “I think it’s time that I went to go pick up Aoife from the bus stop. Do you think you can go with me or do you want to stay here?” Finn’s lips are pressed up against his forehead again as he nods, knowing that he’s going to put all of his efforts into being in the moment with the three people he loves the most.


	4. My Heart Stayed In The Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from '11:11' by In This Moment.

            “Hey, guys! How is everyone doing? Any new symptoms I should know about?” Dr. Crowne lifts an eyebrow at Seth, who is finally sporting something of a bump. From twenty-four weeks to twenty-eight weeks, he looks like how he was with Aoife right before she was born. He’s hoping that this as much as he’s going to show, even though that really doesn’t matter. Finn sits on the chair right next to the examination chair, his hand holding Seth’s. On Finn’s lap is Aoife who is sleeping with one of her ears pressed against Finn’s chest. Seth and Finn decided that they wanted to bring her along so that she could at least get a glimpse at her baby brother—but more importantly to have her hearing tested. Finn’s fingers are running through Aoife’s long hair, dark waves cascading down her back. They’ve thought about having her hair cut, but every time they ask if she wants to get it cut, she shakes her head and then runs to hide from them. One time, Finn found her crying under her bed after they had asked her if they could go get her hair cut. One day she’ll want to get her hair cut, but right now she’s not ready. Seth ends up clearing his throat, breaking Finn from his thoughts. Dr. Crowne is putting the cold gel on Seth’s stomach before putting the transducer on his stomach.

            “As you can see, he’s moving around in there! It looks like he’s trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep.” Seth smiles so wide at the screen, and Finn can see Seth wiping some tears off his face. Finn can’t believe that he gets to be this lucky twice—to see both of his children before they are born. It’s all he’s ever wanted since before the demon almost took him. When he was with Hideo, they talked about maybe moving in together, but it never went further than that. Even before Hideo, when he was with Sami, it never went further than the possibility of moving in together. Finn had always longed for that connection with someone who would want the same things he wanted—to have a family who would understand each other and would never try to change who they are. When he found that with Seth, he knew that he had his soul mate—more than just wrestling, but in the way that they thought and believed in the impossible. It’s why he’ll gladly stay home with Seth, and take care of their daughter without complaints. Seth has done the impossible—and continues to do the impossible. Finn’s hand squeezes Seth’s a little tighter, trying to keep his own emotions in check.

            “Well, Lir is at least on track for his development. I will say that your bump might grow a little bit more, but not by much. At this point, you are almost in your final weeks of this, and if you’re just starting to show, it’s not going to be anything more than what it is now by the time he arrives.  I’m glad that you’ve taken it easy and stayed mostly off your feet. Your blood pressure did go down a bit, but it is still pretty high. Two weeks ago, when I last saw you, your blood pressure had stayed the same from the twenty-four-week mark. I’m very happy to see that it’s dropping, but it still a cause for concern. I am also pretty sure that you’re feeling a lot more pain now, correct?” Seth nods at Dr. Crowne as she sits down on a stool that has wheels attached to the legs like a computer chair. She rolls herself forward, to see if she can see any strain on any of Seth’s joints. Pressing lightly with her fingertips against Seth’s hips, he winces as a tinge of pain crawls up his back. She does the same to his knees, and he has the same reaction. Typing down what she just did and Seth’s reaction, Finn understands that she’s making more plans for him to take care of Seth.

            “Finn, I need you to make sure that Seth is comfortable until the end, okay? He’s having issues with his joints, and I am pretty sure that when Lir moves, that Seth can feel some sort of pain in his body. I want you to touch some of the pressure points of Seth's joints to relieve some of the pain, but I need you to be gentle with him. As for you Seth, I want you to do some light stretching to relieve some of the pressure off your joints. Now, the little princess needs to get her ears checked, right?” Dr. Crowne smiles at Aoife, who is now stirring in Finn’s lap. She blinks before nodding, though she’s still half-asleep. Finn helps her to her feet, while Seth is wiping off the gel off his stomach. Finn goes to help Seth to stand before wrapping an arm around his waist. He takes Aoife’s hand as they are lead out of the exam room into another room. There’s a hearing test machine in the room, and Aoife looks up at Finn and Seth for a second before nodding, being determined in herself to walk into the room with no fear. They can see Dr. Crowne explaining how the test works to Aoife, who nods in understanding before putting on the large headphones over her tiny ears. Dr. Crowne sits across from her before starting the test. As the test progresses, they can see that Aoife is reacting less and less. It confirms their suspicions, and now they can form a plan of action for their daughter.

            “Okay, so our suspicions were confirmed, and I will be referring you to one of my friends who specializes in this field—yes, she has also been through the whole supernatural thing as well. Trust me, for the last two hundred years that she’s been able to live, she’s accumulated a lot of knowledge on how the ear works. You will be in good hands. As for Seth, I want to see you back here at your thirty-week mark, okay. Like I’ve said before, stay off your feet as much as possible, and Finn, please do pressure point therapy with him nightly. It will ease his pain and make it easier for him to sleep.” Dr. Crowne nods at them before taking her leave, and neither Finn or Seth is shocked that there’s another doctor who had dealt with the same life experiences as Dr. Crowne. At this point, for them, anything is possible. Aoife grabs Finn’s hand first before reaching up to hold Seth’s hand. Even if she has some possible hearing loss, she is still perfect in their eyes. After scheduling with the nurse at the checkout desk, the three of them make their way back to their car.

            “Welp, what do you want to do now?” Finn looks at Seth before looking at Aoife, who is too busy looking at her mp3 player to look back at Finn through the rearview mirror. Seth smiles at him before leaning over to kiss him, which is only broken up by a small ‘eew’ coming from the back seat. They smile at each other before laughing, knowing that their daughter finally got to that age where papa and daddy have cooties. Making their way to their house, Aoife is content in listening to her music at the highest volume possible, and Seth and Finn have learned to adapt to that. It’s the only way in which she can hear the music enough that to her, it sounds as if it were playing at normal volume.

            “Aoife, do you want to help daddy make dinner?” Finn smiles down at his daughter, who nods in response. He feels as if she can read lips better than she can hear. He’s only come to this realization in recent months. Whenever he talks to her, she never makes eye contact with him. Instead, she’s staring at every word that he’s saying, understanding what is being asked of her without even knowing that she has adapted in her own way. Finn finds it amazing that despite not knowing of her hearing, she learned very quickly how to adapt without any help. While Finn and Aoife make their way to the kitchen, Seth makes his way up to his share bedroom. Lying down on his mattress, his body turns to the left side. He feels his joints lighten up, as the pressure is finally off them for a moment. He’s having a love-hate relationship this time around with his body. Previously, he blamed himself for how Aoife came into the world, but now, he blames himself for being sick during this whole thing. He ends up having a hand flat against his stomach, and their baby can sense that. He feels the baby push a foot against his stomach from the inside, and he laughs, remembering how that used to be Aoife’s way of communicating with him before she was born.

            “You know something, buddy?  Your daddy and I have waited a long time to have you. You are our last baby, and I am so happy to be able to say that you’re mine. Your sister is excited to meet you, and I think you’ll really like her. Your daddy is such a sweet guy, and we’re lucky to have him. Before you or your sister came into our lives, we thought that it would be impossible to have you be here with us. I’ve thought that having your daddy was enough and that we would be okay if it was just us two in the end. Then, your sister came, and she changed all of that. She’s kind and loving, and she’s really gentle. She doesn’t like yelling and she might be a little different, but that’s okay because we love her. What can I tell you about your daddy that you don’t already know? Hmmm…well, his first love is wrestling—that’s where he and I met. He’s such a nice person, and he’s so patient and understanding. He loves with a heart that’s so full that he never runs out. You’ll probably see him one day in the ring, and you’ll probably see me in the ring one day too. Your daddy and I are ones who believe that if you know that you can do it, then follow your dreams.” He feels the baby move around, trying to listen closely to what he is saying. He feels another push against his hand, and knowing that it’s a foot, he pokes it lightly. He laughs again when the foot disappears from one area and reappears in another. It was one of his favorite games with Aoife, and he’s happy that he’s able to continue the tradition with Lir.


	5. An Angel Once, Now A Ghost Of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the song 'Black Wedding' by In This Moment.

            Thirty-four weeks and Seth has been dreading this exact week for one reason. He is still scared that something will happen again at this week—something that would be a repeat of the worst experience of his life. He doesn’t like dwelling on the accident too much, but he can’t help but to. It’s all he can think about since he found out about Lir. It freaks him out, knowing that the last time that he had a baby, he almost died. Aoife almost died too, and only because they pushed themselves that they survived. He’s always scared of what could happen next, not only with him but especially with Lir. Luckily, he’s been able to see Dr. Crowne twice within the last four weeks. At thirty weeks, Dr. Crowne did a non-stress test, and lucky for him, the baby responded normal, but there was still that question of Seth’s high blood pressure. Then at thirty-two weeks, he found out that Lir was hanging out with his feet kicking into Seth’s ribs. Still, his feet were very swollen, more than the average and Dr. Crowne decided to just have him be on strict bedrest, with minimal movement. This time, Dr. Crowne realized that it has lowered again but it was still in the hypertension range. Finn’s holding his hand again, their daughter back in her classroom at her school.

            “I know that there’s a lot of fear surrounding this week in particular, and like I’ve said before, you know, each time is different. This time there is a very low chance of what happened the last time to happen again. Also, Finn is here with you this time, so you’ll be more than okay. I am sure of it. I am very happy to see that your blood pressure dropped a little bit more, but I am still worried about it. You are still in the range for hypertension, so that means that you still have to be monitored. If going by how your body is reacting to this baby, it looks like we might have to deliver early, again. Now don’t panic, but, when I see you at thirty-eight weeks and your blood pressure hasn’t dropped down to normal, I will be delivering that baby right then and there. I am pretty sure that it’s pregnancy related, but, you will be under observation following the operation. Now, I am going to skip the thirty-sixth-week mark because I’ve been seeing you so often, and your progress hasn’t changed much. I think waiting for the thirty-eighth-week mark gives Lir a really good chance of going home within the first forty-eight hours after.” Seth looks over to Finn for a moment, and he is so desperate to scream and run—run from the doctor’s office and go home. He hates everything right now and being told that he’s looking at a possible delivery that will be another early one scares him. It is the exact opposite of what he wanted. He thought that at least this time, he would have a good chance of keeping Lir with him a little longer. He’s happy at the same time though, because it means that if everything goes right, Lir will not arrive at the same time that his sister did five years earlier. He feels his hand go stiff in Finn’s, and Finn just squeezes back as a sign of reassurance.

            “Well, that should do it for today. Now Seth, again, strict bed rest with minimal movement. The swelling in your hands and feet has improved some, but it’s not at the level where it should be. Along with that, the joint pain that you were telling me about two weeks earlier is because of Lir’s size. He’s looking to be measuring at least nineteen inches by the time of his birth. I wouldn’t be surprised though if he ends up being more like twenty-one or twenty-two. He is also looking to be at least seven or eight pounds, easy. Looking at how your stomach is, I can safely say that you are showing more now at thirty-four weeks with him, than you did with Aoife. I’ve noticed in other patients in your situation, that when a son is conceived, the parents who are carrying tend to have babies who are a little above the average, whereas if they are having daughters, the daughters usually will be a little below average. Either way, he will be born healthy. I know Finn says this all the time to you, Seth, but you have to realize that what happened five years ago wasn’t your fault. It’s causing a lot of stress for you, and I believe that your stress is playing into your blood pressure levels. It’s probably causing flare-ups in your joints and more painful than usual ligament pain. You’re stressing yourself out over the possibility of the same situation happening all over again. I want you to center yourself when thoughts like these start making their way into your brain. You have a healthy daughter who is a wild ball of energy, who despite some minor setbacks, is doing very well for herself. Lir will be fine as well, Seth. I can tell just by looking at the ultrasound pictures, and how steady his heartbeat is. You’re doing everything right, and there’s no way that there would be another repeat end for you. You have such a loving partner in Finn that it is so amazing just to watch the two of you interact with each other. Of course, I only get glimpses of how you both are when you’re here but to me, that’s more than enough to make a sure-fire assumption to say that Finn is one of the most attentive partners I have ever seen. Keep that thought close to your brain, and when you’re feeling stress, think about him and think about Aoife, okay? I’ll see you both at thirty-eight weeks. Hopefully, you can hold out for two weeks after that, but if not, Lir will be more than fine.” Dr. Crowne smiles at them both before leaving them alone. At the exact moment in which the door closes, Seth is in tears. Between his daughter having to learn to adjust to sound for the first time without having to have people yell for her, and their baby’s health on the line, Seth can only cry. He feels horrible for putting Finn in the position of supportive spouse. He wants Finn to feel free and not tied down, and Seth can only think of how much he’s put Finn through, and how much of a patient man he is.

            “Babe…baby. Hey, Seth are you with me?” Finn is looking at him from up above and it’s then that Seth realizes that he’s still laying down on the exam table. Placing his hand against his forehead, he feels moisture, as if someone had spritzed him with water. Wiping his hand across it, he realizes that he had broken out in a cold sweat of panic. One of Finn’s hands is running through his hair while the other is holding Seth’s hand. Seth reaches up to touch Finn’s face, who can only smile at him in return. There’s pain in the blue eyes that he loves the most, and his heart aches because of it.

            “I am so sorry Finn. I am so sorry that you’ve been put into the position of caregiver and that I can’t help you. I have been such a shitty husband and it’s unfair to you. I haven’t been able to return the favor to support you as you’ve supported me. Please, just tell me if I’m missing something, or if you’re feeling something and you feel alone.” Seth has tears going down his face and Finn is wiping them away. Leaning down to ghost lips across Seth’s forehead, Finn can’t help but giggle at how stubborn Seth’s thoughts are. Finn’s hands pull Seth up into a sitting position before helping him off the exam table. Finn’s hand goes back to holding Seth’s, a squeeze of reassurance as an attempt to tame wild thoughts. The nurse behind the desk is on the phone, but she gives them the thumbs up, to let them know that they were both clear to go and that their appointment had been scheduled. Making their way back to their car, Seth’s chest begins to hurt, a sure sign of heartburn. As he leans back into the passenger’s seat of their car, Seth can’t help but look down towards his stomach. It’s a little more prominent than when it was Aoife, almost making it look like he enjoys eating more than working out. Unfortunately, not being able to go to the gym has driven Seth stir-crazy the most. It was his way of dealing with the impending idea of parenthood, and to get out the feelings of guilt from his body. He smiles to himself as he lays his hand flat against it. He can feel Lir push his foot against his stomach from the inside, and sure enough, there is an outline of a foot appearing from right under his skin. Sometimes it weirds him out, other times he thinks it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen. He mostly finds it endearing though—his baby trying to tell him that they’re there and that they love him. His favorite though is when they are responding to the noises from the outside. Another hand lays right next to his while he looks up to see Finn staring at him with a loving look in his eyes. The ignition of the car kicks in, and Finn makes his way out of the parking lot. There’s a comfortable silence that engulfs them, a blanket of calm to smother out the anxiety and dread.

            By the time that they make it through the front door of their house, Seth begins to just lean against anything that can hold him up as he makes his way to his room, which is on the second floor. As soon as his head hits the pillow, his eyes close and his body goes into a state of calm. He can sense another person is in the room with him, and just by the feeling of fingers running through his hair accompanied by the soft humming, he knows it’s Finn who followed him up. Even in his guilt, Seth can find his happiness.


	6. The Doctors Say Hold On Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this does it for this installment. Chapter title comes from In This Moment's 'Into The Light'

            There’s an all-encompassing feeling of pain running through Seth’s body. He’s floating in a sea of pain, where light can’t reach and the only sounds he can hear are on some distant plane. He wants to curl into himself and scream about the pain, but his mouth feels heavy. There’s a tug on his shoulder and then he’s being pulled down, deeper into the darkness and pain. Taking a deep breath, he can see light begin to crack through the darkness, getting stronger with each passing moment. Someone’s holding his hand and whispering near him, but he still can’t see. The light keeps blinding him, making him keep his eyes closed. There’s a gasp right by him before the light dims significantly, giving him the ability to open his eyes. There’s an oxygen mask over his face, and he looks over to the side in which he feels someone holding his hand. Watery eyes enter his line of vision and he can’t help but smile, a couple of tears making their grand escape.

            “Hey babe, how are you feeling? Do you have any pain?” Finn’s grip on his hand tightens for a second, and all Seth can do is give him a small smile in reassurance. He feels everything in his stomach, his breathing starting to become a little shallow while Finn’s hand lets his go for a second to press a button on the wall. He can hear a machine going haywire with a weird ‘beeping’ noise. The room becomes flooded all of the sudden with nurses who are checking his vital signs and taking off the oxygen mask. He feels this rush of liquids go into his body, and he’s being dragged under again.

_“Finn, you’re going to do great tonight! I just know it! I am so proud of you, and remember, no matter what happens tonight, I love you.” Seth is smiling at a painted-up Finn. Touching up any minor spots, Seth places a light kiss against painted lips. He knows that he got some of Finn’s paint on his face and he’s fine with that, he could care less if the rest of the roster looked at him like he was a strange one. He feels a tugging at one of his pant legs and looking down, there are brown eyes looking up at him. His heart breaks inside of his ribcage, his youngest child looking at him with some sort of fear held within their eyes. Sinking down to be eye level with his son, the two-year-old has a frown gracing his face._

_“Oh baby, it’s okay. It’s just daddy under all of that paint. See?” Seth wraps his arms around his son before rising back up to his feet to be eye to eye with Finn. He can feel his son hide their face into his shirt, knowing that seeing the determination in Finn’s eyes scares them even more. Finn reaches out with a painted hand to tap at his son’s tiny shoulder. There are tears trailing down their son’s eyes, and Finn can hear his heart shatter. His poor boy, his tiny, perfect son, is afraid of him._

_“Lir, baby, look its daddy. I swear its daddy under all of that paint. It’s okay…look, Aoife is talking to daddy, and does she seem scared? She’s hugging him, and he’s smiling at her. C’mon, let’s go say bye and wish him luck.” Seth smiles at his son, who just weakly nods back as a response. Finn is whispering something into Aoife’s ear, who is nodding back, as some sort of agreement between the two. Seth waits until Finn stands back up, clearing his throat to get his attention. Finn turns to Seth, sporting a smile on his face. Seth can feel himself smile back, excited at the opportunity to see Finn have another chance to regain his title. For him, it doesn’t matter that he has ownership of the Intercontinental title again, it’s more about Finn and finally getting the title that he never lost. Finn leans in to give him the sweetest kiss, before kissing Lir on the side of his face. Finn goes to through the curtain, into the monitor room, before walking out to face the crowd. Seth is excited, but nervous at the same time. Watching Finn on one of the TV screens, Seth winces when Finn’s opponent’s music hits. It freaks him out to know that there’s written history of Finn’s struggle to get the belt that he never lost back. The man who holds that belt—they haven’t made an effort to even come and defend the belt in the first place. As their music hits, Seth can feel a chill go up his spine. A feeling of dread and doubt has taken over, and Paul Heyman’s voice drowns out everyone else. As soon as the bell rings, Finn is giving the match everything he has...but then the hit happens, and he swears he saw Finn’s soul leave his body. He covers both Aoife and Lir’s eyes, not wanting them to see their other parent in pain. As the match keeps going, Finn gets the upper hand, but something peculiar happens towards the end. He can see the energy signature coming off Finn’s shoulders, and he knows for a fact that it’s no longer Finn in that body, but Bálor instead. He’s wanting to see what’s going to happen next, but at the same time, he doesn’t want their kids to see Finn like this._

_“C’mon Finn, come back.” Seth’s nervous as Finn finally ends his nightmare and ends up being crowned the new universal champion. He can still see that the demon still has control so he knows to tread lightly. He sends their kids towards Becky, who looks at him for a second before realizing what is about to happen. As she walks away with their kids, Finn appears, and just by the heavy breathing, Seth can tell that Finn is fighting for control. As Finn’s hands press themselves into Seth’s shoulders, there is a burning pain—as if he were on fire. He wants to tell him to stop, but instead, hands are wrapped around his throat. The demon is looking back at him with a sick smirk on his face. As it begins to lean forward, the demon’s mouth opens even wider, and Seth knows what could come of it, so he just closes his eyes and hopes for the best._

_“NO! YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!” Finn screams as he fights the demon, and Seth can’t bring himself to look. He can’t watch destruction at his feet. Light begins to engulf him, and he can tell from the brightness behind his eyelids that it would hurt to even look. Someone takes his hand from within the light, pulling him while he feels as if he is being pulled apart._

            Opening his eyes to the bright lights of his room, Seth blinks back tears, his eyes are burning. He feels Finn’s hand holding his, but a much smaller hand is holding his index finger. He’s sad that Aoife is seeing him like this, but it wouldn’t be fair to keep her away. Turning his head to look at both of them, Aoife has tears in her eyes. She’s never seen Seth so vulnerable before, and it hurts him to see that. He already hated seeing Finn cry over him, but to see Aoife—his sweet pea who is a tough cookie—cry…he can hear his heart shatter. He sees Aoife look at him, and she just begins to cry even more. Sobs are shaking her body, and Finn is hugging her, knowing that this has been hard on her. Her body is curling into Finn’s chest, and all Finn can do is wrap his arms a little tighter around her.

            “Papa, please don’t go.” The only words that Aoife can muster as she looks at Seth with fear in her eyes. He wants to know what happened, and yet, he doesn’t want to hurt Aoife more. Finn gives him that look—as if he could read Seth’s mind. Finn smiles at him as another person walks into the room. A blur of dark pants doesn’t give him much of a clue until someone’s ponytail is brushing by his face. Bayley is crying with joy as she hugs Seth, and now he’s really curious at what happened during Lir’s birth.

            “Aoife, sweetie, C'mon, let’s go get something to eat.” Aoife weakly nods at Bayley as arms unwrap from the hug Bayley is giving him. She takes Aoife’s hand as they walk out of Seth’s hospital room, Aoife still taking some time to wipe her eyes and try to compose herself. Even for a five-year-old, she is more mature than most of her peers. Finn’s hand is holding his again, and looking into those eyes, Seth knows he is in for a story. There’s a sigh and there is a storm that starts to brew into the eyes that Seth loves so much. A storm of fear and anxiety is clouding the irises of the crystal blue ocean he looks into every morning.

            “Seth…it was hard. It was so hard to see you lying there with your eyes closed. Again, you missed the first cries, but this time—this time it was different. Your body was so pale, and your hand was so limp in mine. When Lir took his first breaths, he screamed so the whole world could hear him. He is so handsome, Seth, and I can’t believe you made another perfect person to add to our family. He has your eye color but my eye shape, and he looks so much like you. I can’t believe it—that you had him with you for almost nine months…thirty-six weeks to be exact. A whole two weeks more, even with hypertension and fatigue. You did it, and you did it with grace and calm. You are just such an amazing person, and I can’t believe he’s actually here. When Dr. Crowne went to put him on the baby scale, she laughed and then announced that he was eight pounds and measured in at twenty-one inches. He was screaming in rage at being born, and honestly, it was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard. His lungs were so strong that Dr. Crowne was confident that he didn’t need any treatment. He even was able to eat right out of a bottle on the first try. Seth, you gave him the best possible start, and I am so proud of you.” Seth feels tears slide down his face again as a knock draws their attention to the ajar door, as it is pushing open to reveal Dr. Crowne herself. She smiles at Seth before pressing some buttons and Seth’s bed begins to lift and adjust so that he is in a sitting position. He winces a little before settling, knowing that he has another bandage across his stomach.

            “Hey Seth, so the surgery was a success. Lir was born kicking and screaming and the demon, as much as I don’t like him, guided me through the second part of your surgery. I was able to collect all of the energy into one singular mass, which then allowed me to filter out your blood to pull any other stray energy. I got some from doing that, and then I was able to do the reverse ritual so that the energy goes back to the demon king himself and not through Finn. This time around you should have a much easier time with recovery. Again, it will take six weeks to fully heal, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem. I am going to release you tomorrow. Lir will be going home along with you, and speaking on that, I do have someone who wants to meet you.” She smiles at him as a nurse walks in with a hospital-issued bassinet, a baby is crying from it. The nurse smiles at Seth before leaning over the bassinet, reaching down, she picks up a wailing baby before placing that baby into Seth’s arms. His eyes begin to water as he lightly runs a tip of one of his index fingers against the face of his baby. He places a kiss against the baby’s forehead, who is instantly comforted by it.

            “Hi, Lir Owen. I can’t believe you’re here. Just like your sister, I waited for you for a long time. You know, you have an amazing dad who just like me, is excited to have you.” His baby looks up at him—a reflection of his own eyes staring up at him with so much love. He can’t believe that he got this lucky again. Not once but twice—and if he is really honest with himself—it’s more like three times. He could have never thought that when he first met Finn that it would lead to this—a life with Finn and two children, where his husband tells him every day how much he loves him and all he can do is just feel so grateful that someone found the hidden good within. Not everyone can get so lucky, so he never takes for granted the days he’s gotten so far in this life.


End file.
